Wood wafer cutting machine



March 10, 1959 'w. RQMATI'HEWS W001;v WAFER mum; MACHINE OriginalFiled.June 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 4, m 2 v0M March 10, 1959' w. R.MATTHEWS 2,876,81 1

WOOD WAFER CUTTING MACHINE Original Filed June 25. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I N V EN TOR. M/filam A? Mar/firms 2,876,811- WOOD WAFER CUTTING MACHINEWilliam R. Matthews, Spokane, Wash.

Original application June 25, 1953, Serial No. 364,078. ivided and thisapplication March 12, 1956, Serial No. 571,105

6 Claims. ('Cl. 144-162) The present invention relates to improvementsin a wood wafer cutting machine. This application is a division of myprior and co-pending application Serial No. 364,078, filed June 25,1953, for Process and Apparatus for Molding Board in a Continuous Strip.

In constructing molded wood fiber board, it is desirable to use woodchips or wafers which are so cut that the wood fibers therein extendparallel to the longest dimension of the wafer and which remain intactfor the fulllength of the wafer.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide a machine whichwill reduce wood scraps, blocks, boards; etc. to thin wafers of woodfiber wherein the fibers are intact for substantially the length of thewafer.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide such a machine having amultiplicity of aligned cutters adapted to move past a cutting stationand means to present wood blocks, etc. to the'cutting station in such aposition that the grain of the wood lies perpendicular to the directionof motion of the cutters, the cutters having transversely spaced scoringribs thereon whereby to score the blocks across the grain and havingtransversely extending slicing bars between the scoring blades wherebyto slice wafers from the wood.

The machine comprises a main framework having a pair of verticallyspaced drums rotatably mounted there'- in and having the lower drumdriven. A plurality of endless chains extend side by side around thedrums. The endless chains carry the cutters which slice wafers fromwooden blocks held thereagainst. A conveyor extends into closejuxtaposition with the downwardly extending flights of chains betweenthe upper and lower cylinders, and is adapted to present wood blocks tothe cutters. A feed conveyor positioned above the first named conveyor,moves the wood against the cutters and holds it firmly in place.

The nature and advantages of my invention will ap pear more fully fromthe following description and the accompanying drawings wherein apreferred form of the invention is shown. It should be understood,however, that the drawings and description are illustrative only and arenot intended to limit the invention except insofar as it is limited bythe claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of the wafer cutting machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the" line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the cutter.

and chains looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of one of the cut ters; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal center sectional view of the cutter shown inFigure 5.

Referring. now tothe drawings and to Figure 1 in. par:

' atent C 2,876,811 Patented Mar. 1o, 1959 ti'cular, the'machine isshown as comprising a base frame 10 having upstanding, frame portions 11thereon. A lower rotatable shaft 12 is rotatably mounted on the baseframe 10 and supports thereon a drum or cylinder An upper shaft 14 isrotata'bly'mounted at the upper ends of the upstanding frames 11 andcarries a second drum or cylinder 15. The upper shaft 14 is rotatablymounted in bearing blocks 16 which are mounted for vertical movement inthe upstanding frame members 11. The bearing blocks 16 are urged up"wardly by springs 17. The upward movement is limited by adjustablescrews 18. With this construction, the upper drum 15 is' mounted forlimited adjustment to ward and away from the lower drum 13. A pluralityof endless chains, generally indicated by the numeral 19, are trainedaround the drums 13 and 15' in a side by'sid'e relation.

The chains 19, best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, each comprise alternatecutter carrying links 20 and roller carrying links 21. The rollercarrying links 21 are comprised of two spaced apart bars 21a and 21b theends of which are positioned against and pivotally secured to the endsof the cutter carrying links 211 by pins 22. As shown best in Figure 4,the bars 21a and 21b are spread intermediate their ends, and a roller 23is positioned therebetween. The rollers 23 are rotatably mounted onshafts 24 which are secured between the bars 21a and 21b of the links21. It will be noted that the rollers 23 are considerably larger indiameter than the links 21 and protrude from the opposite sides thereof.

The drums 13 and 15' are provided with axially extendingsemi-cylindrical flutes or groves 24 on the" surface to receive therollers 23 and to provide for driving engagement between the chains 19and the drums 13 and 15. With this construction rotational power appliedto the shaft 12 will cause the drum 13 to rotate, driving the chains 19through engagement of the grooves 24 with the rollers 23. The directionof rotation of the drum 13 is indicated in Figure l.

The cutter carrying links 20 of the chains 19 each receive and support acutter 25 the description of which will appear later herein. The cutters25 are adapted to cut wafers of wood from blocks held against themovingchains 19. As shown in Figure l, a roller conveyor 26 extends intoclose juxtaposition with the downwardly moving flights of the chains 19.This conveyor 26 is: adapted to carry wood blocks such as indicated at27 to the chains 19 to be reduced to wafers. Mounted abovethe conveyor26 is a feed conveyor 28 which cooperates with the conveyor 26 todeliver and hold the blocks 27 for cutting. The feed conveyor 28comprises a flexible belt 29 trained around three supporting rollers30,31 and 32'. The outer surface of the belt 29 is ribbed or toothed asshown at 29a to grip the blocks 27, and is driven so that its lowerflight moves toward the chains 19 as indicated by the arrowsin--Figure 1. Wooden blocks 27 on the conveyor 26 are engaged by themoving belt 29 and advanced into engagement with the chains 19- forcutting. As the blocks 27 are cut into wafers by the cutters 25, thebelt 29 of the conveyor feeds and holds the blocks 27 in position.

In order to insure that the cutters 25 do engage" and- This means 33positioned between the moving flights of chains- 19' to keep them frombecoming slack. As shown best in Figures 1 and 2 the rollers 23 engageand roll down the surface of the plate 33 as ithe chains 19 travel.Raised lips 33a. at the side edges of the .plate 33 preventtransversemovement of the chains 19.

The cutters 25, best illustrated in Figures and 6, comprise a baseportion 35 from which two transversely spaced scoring ribs 36 and 37extend. The scoring ribs 36 and 37 have their leading edges 38 sharpenedtocut score lines or grooves in the blocks 27 as they are traversed. Atthe upper end of the base portion 35 an outwardly extending anddownwardly curved slicing rib 39 is positioned. The slicing rib 39 hasits downwardly facing edge 40 sharpened to slice through the blocktraversed and cut a thin wafer therefrom between the score lines. Itwill be noted that the inside face 41 of the slicing rib 39 follows asmooth curve upwardly and inwardly toward the base 35, so that the wafercut from the block 27 may follow this surface and curl around gently asit is cut. The cutters 25, as hereinbefore mentioned are received andsupported by the cutter carrying links 20 of the chains 19. Each of thelinks 20 has a cutter connecting plate 42 formed thereon having alongitudinal T-shaped channel 43 therein commencing at one end andcontinuing nearly the full distance of the plate 42. Each of the cutters25 has a T- haped flange 44 thereon which is received in the channel tosecure the cutter 25 to the link 20. It will be noted in Figure 4 thatboth the connecting plate 42 and the flange 44 are slightly wedgeshaped, the side edges thereof converging toward the end of the cutter25 having the slicing rib 39 thereon. With this construction the forceexerted against the cutter 25 by the blocks 27 is in a direction to keepthe cutter 25 wedged firmly in place on the link 20.

When it is desired to produce thin wood wafers, blocks of wood such asthose indicated at 27 are placed on the conveyor 26 in such a positionthat the grain of each block extends at right angles to the direction oftravel of the chains U. The blocks are engaged and moved against thechains by the conveyor 28. As each cutter 25 travels along the block 27the scoring ribs 36 and 37 cut grooves in the wood across the grain,thereby cutting the wood fibers into lengths equal to the distancebetween the scoring ribs 36 and 37. Immediately after the wood isscored, the slicing rib 39 engages the block 27 and slices a wafertherefrom between the score lines or grooves. The slicing rib 39 slicesparallel to the grain and does not sever the fibers, but merelyseparates the fibers between the score lines from the remainder of theblock. It will be seen from examination of Figures 2 and 3 that thethickness of the slice and of the resulting wafers is controlled by therollers 23. The teeth in each chain are spaced apart far enough that atooth completes its cut through the wood before the following toothengages the wood. For thicker wood alternate teeth in a chain may beremoved. in order to vary the thickness of the wafers, it is necessaryto replace either the rollers 23 or the cutters 25.

In operation, my improved wafer cutting machine is very simple. Afterthedrum 13 and the conveyors 26 and 28 are set in motion, all that remainsto be done is to place blocks 27 on the conveyor 26 and remove thewafers below the drum 13. As wafers are cut they are deflected by aguide 45 to a tray or conveyor 46 below thedrum 13. The cutters 25 areremovable for easy repairs or replacement. The operation of the deviceresults in production of volumes of wafers of controlled length andthickness and containing longitudinally extending wood fibers which areintact for the entire length of the wafer.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of the invention appearclearly from the foregoing description.

, Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for reducing wood blocks to thin wafers comprising .apluralityvof cutters each having laterally and having a slicingextending sharpened ribs thereon bar thereon extending laterally of saidribs, cutter mounting ineans supporting said cutter, rollers mounted onsaid cutter mounting means, said cutters and roller being aligned inspaced apart longitudinal rows on said mounting means, said rowscomprising alternate cutters and rollers, the cutters extendingoutwardly from the mounting means a greater distance than the rollers,block holding means supported adjacent said cutter mounting means andoperable to hold a wooden block against the cutter, and power meansconnected to said cutter mounting means operable to move the cuttermounting means with respect to the block holding means.

2. A device for reducing wood blocks to thin wafers comprising aplurality of cutters each having laterally spaced longitudinallyextending sharpened ribs thereon and having a slicing bar thereonextending laterally of said ribs, cutter mounting means supporting saidcutter, rollers mounted on said cutter mounting means, said cutters androller being aligned in spaced apart longitudinal rows on said mountingmeans, said rows comprising alternate cutters and rollers, adjacent rowsbeing staggered whereby each cutter has a roller of the next adjacentrow beside it, the cutters extending outwardly from the mounting means agreater distance than the rollers, block holding means supportedadjacent said cutter mounting means and operable to hold a wooden blockagainst the cutter, and power means connected to said cutter mountingmeans operable to move the cutter mounting means with respect to theblock holding means. 7 3. A device for reducing wood blocks to thinwafers comprising a plurality of chains positioned in a side by siderelation, each of said chains having alternate cutter carrying links androller carrying links, cutters supported on said cutter carrying links,and rollers supported on said roller carrying links, said cutters eachhaving laterally spaced longitudinally extending sharpened ribs thereonand having a slicing bar thereon extending laterally of said ribs, saidribs and said bar of each cutter extending outwardly from the chain agreater distance than the rollers, adjacent chains being staggeredwhereby each cutter has a roller of the next adjacent chain beside it,block holding means positioned adjacent the chains and operable to holda woo-den block against the cutters, and chain driving means connectedto the chains whereby to move them with respect to the block holdingmeans.

4. A device for reducing wood blocks to thin wafers comprising a mainframe, a pair of vertically spaced, laterally extending shafts rotatablymounted on said frame, sprocket means fixed on each of said shafts, aplurality of chains trained around said sprockets and having verticallyextending front and rear flights extending between said sprocket means,drive means connected to one of said shafts to drive said chains in adirection to move the front flight downwardly, said chains comprisingalternate cutter carrying links and roller carrying links, rollersjournalled in said roller carrying links, cutters supported on saidcutter carrying links, said cutters having outwardly extending laterallyspaced ribs thereon, said ribs having sharpened edges facing in thedirection of travel of the chains, slicing bars on said cuttersextending laterally of the chains at the ends of the ribs opposite thesharpened edges, wood holding means on the frame adjacent the frontflights of chains and operable to hold wood blocks against the cutters,and a backing plate on the frame adjacent the front flights of chains onthe opposite side of the chains from the wood holding means, saidbacking plate having a vertical face adjacent the chains to engage therollers and hold the chains against the wood block being traversed bythe cutters.

5. In an apparatus for the production of board from particles of woodfiber, a cutter for reducing wood blocks to the desired particle size,said cutter comprising a plurality of chains side by side, each chainhaving cutter teeth mounted thereon, and drive rollers alterspacedlongitudinally nating with the teeth, the teeth being staggered inadjacent chains whereby each tooth has the roller of the adjacent chainalongside it, the teeth comprising two spaced apart sharpened ribsextending lengthwise of the chain and a slicing bar spaced rearwardlyfrom the ribs but rigid there- 5 with, the space between said ribs andthe slicing bar being open.

6. In a cutter device for reducing wood blocks to wafers, a chain, abacking plate for the chain, alternate links of the chain having rollersriding on said backing plate and cutters carried thereon, each cutterhaving a base portion removably secured on the chain and a pair oflaterally spaced ribs projecting from the base portion and extendinglongitudinally of the chain and having their forward edges sharpened,each cutter also having a slicing bar mounted on said base portion andprovided with a forwardly extended slicing edge spaced rearwardly fromthe rib edges and outwardly from the base portion, the slicing bar andribs projecting from the chain farther than the rollers to slice woodpieces held away from the backing plate by the rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,207,055 Keogh Dec. 5, 1916 1,473,545 Collier Nov. 6, 1923 1,538,066Street May 19, 1925 1,665,131 Ferrari Apr. 3, 1928 2,080,557 Bravi May18, 1937 2,652,077 Alexander Sept. 15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,042,871France June 10, 1953

